Category: software
-
SSL Vulnerability Closed in OS X Update
Apple released Security Update 2014-001 yesterday, which closes the vulnerability discussed in my last post. Mountain Lion and Mavericks users should install this update ASAP. Note, if you are a Mountain Lion user and do not wish to update to Mavericks at this time (completely understandable, but fixable), then do not install the OS X…
-
Public Service Announcement for iOS and OS X users
On Friday, Apple released version 7.0.6 for iOS (iPhone / iPad) users. Go to Settings on your iOS device and install this update now. What’s the deal? A very serious vulnerability that exposes the secure communication link between your device and any services that you use (Gmail, Facebook, Dropbox, online banking, etc). The exploit package…
-
Cloud for Small Business – Hot or Not? Redux (UPDATE 2/24/14)
Google Apps. Microsoft Office 365. What are they and why do we care? Interesting questions. What does every modern office need? A productivity suite to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. A messaging system, for sending email and enabling chat. A calendaring system, to facilitate time management and shared scheduling. A collaboration system, to…
-
Java security problems, again
For the third time in a month, Oracle has issued a new Java security patch. If you use Java, you need to download and then install the new version. Once you’ve done that you should without fail disable Java in your web browser. With that out of the way, my primary recommendation is still to…
-
Java – What, me worry?
There’s an interesting article today on THE VERGE. Joshua Kopstein poses the question “Why won’t Java just go away?” That leads to our question: “What is Java, and do I need to worry about it?” Java is present on many PCs – Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s a both a programming language and an application…
-
Cloud for Small Business – Hot nor Not?
Last week I offered Rodney Roger’s perspective on the place of cloud computing in the enterprise. His premise, with which I completely agree, is that current “enterprise” cloud offerings lack the breadth and depth of on-premise systems. To paraphrase him, Salesforce and Workday are not ERP. He’s absolutely right. He also points to emerging cloud…
-
Cloud: sexy – Enterprise: not so much
I read this article several weeks ago. I’ve pondered it. I’ve read it over again. Here’s a quote: If you unnaturally extend or generalize cloud solutions to me, or if you pontificate cloud idealisms without providing tangible platforms that can service what I am, then you waste my time. When you waste my time, I…
-
Harpooning the whale
One data set, two locations – each with an EMC VNXe array. Big giant file sets. How do engineers in the US and Mexico share 3D models quickly and seamlessly? We receive engineering drawings and models from our customers. We comb through the files extracting bill-of-materials information, critical dimensions and other vital attributes. A single…
-
The Belly of the Beast, Part 4
I promise to tell you how we got here, but not today. I’m a bit tired. It’s always a gratifying point in any IT project when a critical mass of users has turned the corner and begun investing themselves in their new system. I think we’re at that point today. There are still some unsolved…
-
The Belly of the Beast, Part 3
Data is here. No migration is without anomalies, so I have some hunting to do – missing records, missing fields. But the real excitement, as always, is with our users. Change is exciting. New ERP system, new capabilities, information at our fingertips. Why am I always reminded of the 1980s IBM / Charlie Chaplin commercials?…